Here's a guy that could have cut his cost a bit to stay with a winner, but it was clear that once game 7 was over his next step was to guarentee his personal payday. Good riddance to a guy that cut off contract talks after just one or two offers. He had no intention of being a Bruin, it was payday or the highway. I mean, look at all the Stanley Cups Pavel Bure won. Good luck with that Phil.

Savard is at 5 mil 88 ptsKovalev is at 5 mil 65 ptsGionta is at 5 mil 60 pts last year, but had an 89 pt year.Ribeiro is at 5 mil 78 ptsGetzlaf is at 5.3 91 ptsHavlat is at 5 mil 77 ptsGot to throw this defenseman in there - Green in Washington is at 5.25 - 73 pts.

Does Kessel deserve more money than all these guys? A few of these guys played LESS games than Kessel did. And don't forget, he won't be ready opening day, he won't get in a full season this year. Kessel is gate crashing this party - maybe he'll deserve to get into this club in a year or 2, but no way he is worth this kind of money now.

...seems like a perfect fit Here's a guy that could have cut his cost a bit to stay with a winner, but it was clear that once game 7 was over his next step was to guarentee his personal payday. Good riddance to a guy that cut off contract talks after just one or two offers. He had no intention of being a Bruin, it was payday or the highway. I mean, look at all the Stanley Cups Pavel Bure won. Good luck with that Phil.Posted by Skaswatch

Stay with a winner? What win are you talking about? Lets see now if I stay with Boston its maybe 3 mil a year, if I go to Toronto its 5.4 mil a year- I know, I'll give up a couple of MILLION dollars so I can get back to round 2. C'mon give the kid a break, if someone was willing to pay him he should take it-case closed.

Goodbye little arrogance. You wo't be missed. See how much you enjoy playing for Ron Wilson and Burke. You thought Cluade was to tough to play for? just wait lil' man.

Below is a story about the Thrills draft interview. Hopefully the picks become a player at the deadline. Bruins now have 2 first and 2 seconds for next year. Leave the 1.7 open in the cap and add an inpact player at the deadline. Somebody with some guts and heart.

With all of the hubbub aboutPhil Kesseland his potential new team, this seems like an appropriate time to look back on the player's pre-draft record. The following excerpt comes from Gare Joyce's ground-breaking book Future Greats and Heartbreaks, and documents an interview between Kessel andColumbus Blue Jackets' staffersDon BoydandPaul Castron. Castron is currently the team's director of amateur scouting, while Boyd is the director of hockey operations and player personnel.

And of all the prospects making the rounds of the clubs, no prospect has more to win or lose than Kessel. Stuff to answer for. Stuff to put to rest.

Kessle walks into the room at 1 p.m. In half an hour, he has to go through a battery of tests for the combine. The Blue Jackets are the first interview on his schedule. More than twenty clubs will end up talking to him here.

Kessel is barely in his seat before he's pressed, before he is sweated.

"Teammates", Boyd prompts.

Silence.

"Do you know what I'm talking about?"

"No," Kessel says.

How couldn't he? Everyone in the game knows what Boyd is talking about. Kessel has a reputation for being disliked by his teammates wherever he has played.

And, clearly, Kessel does know what Boyd is talking about. At the end of a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, a few seconds while the clock was ticking, more loudly for Kessel than the team, he starts talking.

Sputtering.

"I don't have a problem with my teammates."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"I don't have a problem with Jack Johnson."

Another uncomfortable silence.

"I had lunch with him [Jack Johnson] practically every day."

Kessel is cracking. How it's not answers. It's explanations. And rationalizations. And excuses. Hard to imagine it going worse.

What about the television story about a bar serving underage students, including players on the Golden Gopher hockey team? "It happens everywhere... who'd think they'd have cameras in their lapels?" Only 18 goals last season, when you were compared to Sidney Crosby the year before? "I was on the third line... we rolled four lines."

Kessel's shaken at the end. He knows it hasn't gone well. He walks out the door.

"He's not going back to school," Castron says, unconvinced by Kessel's claims that he finished with a 3.2 grade point average after missing weeks of school at the world championships

27 mil for 5 years? 5.4 mil a year? He had 60 pts last year Savard is at 5 mil 88 pts Kovalev is at 5 mil 65 pts Gionta is at 5 mil 60 pts last year, but had an 89 pt year. Ribeiro is at 5 mil 78 pts Getzlaf is at 5.3 91 pts Havlat is at 5 mil 77 pts Got to throw this defenseman in there - Green in Washington is at 5.25 - 73 pts. Does Kessel deserve more money than all these guys? A few of these guys played LESS games than Kessel did. And don't forget, he won't be ready opening day, he won't get in a full season this year. Kessel is gate crashing this party - maybe he'll deserve to get into this club in a year or 2, but no way he is worth this kind of money now.Posted by BadHabitude

If stats were the only metric, Kessel would be a good buy at this price (assuming he can repeat 2008-09, which I doubt) given his age. Havlat is paid much higher than 5 million because of the ridiculous length of his contract. Talent is critical but it's the whole package you have to look at. Mental toughness, work ethics, capacity for selfless sacrifices... That's essential to stay alive in the playoffs. Kessel does not have that and may even be a negative in that regard. Don't use Kessel's performance against self-destructing Habs last year as a reference point. (And BTW this is the same reasoning that makes me happy Kovalev is no longer a Hab).

The other aspect to consider is that as a GM you should not think only short term (i.e. Stanley Cup 2010 or bust) because in order to win the cup you need more than a great team, you need multiple kicks at the can over several years. To achieve this within the UFA and salary cap system good draft picks are essential. Putting all your eggs in one basket (or one basket case) for a make or brake year is risky. Many things can derail a championship team in any given season.

Trust me: Burke will need to hire a shrink to figure out Kessel and keep him from poisoning the chemistry on his squad of goons.

Numbers are numbers, I don't beleive he is worth 5.4 this year but next who knows, that's why the price is for 5 years, if he hits 40 the next couple of years, look for a big increase after year 5 according to the big goal scorers.

27 mil for 5 years? 5.4 mil a year? He had 60 pts last year- He also scored a goal better than every second game pace, here who has. Players missed Savard is at 5 mil 88 pts 25G Nash 40 G- 5.4M for 13 years Kovalev is at 5 mil 65 pts 26G Staal 40 G- 8.25M Gionta is at 5 mil 60 20G Hossa 40G - 5.23 for 12 years Ribeiro is at 5 mil 78 pts 22G Vanek 40 G- 7.143M Getzlaf is at 5.3 91 pts 25G Cammaleri 39G- 6M Havlat is at 5 mil 77 pts 29G Heatley 39 G 7.5M Marleau 38 G- 6.3M Erickson 36 G- 1.6M 23 Yr old and next yr RFA Malkin 35 8.7 Iginla 35 G- 7M Numbers are numbers, I don't beleive he is worth 5.4 this year but next who knows, that's why the price is for 5 years, if he hits 40 the next couple of years, look for a big increase after year 5 according to the big goal scorers.Posted by No4BobbyOrr-GOAT

I take your point, but numbers aside Kessel is still a gamble. That surgery he had can be a permanent injury. How long will his recovery take? look at Begeron and how long it took him to come back fully, granted that he will be out a shorter period of time that Bergeron, but take my point - it will take a while to get back up to speed. He won't have the team mates this year. I wouldn't put him in the elite club YET - NOT YET. They are not just banking that he will remain the same as he is now, but that he will get better. That's a gamble.